Burned
by Indiostar
Summary: Set in ancient Rome. Naruto refuses to comply to any authority, and being captured and dragged into Rome as a slave makes him all the more rebellious. He meets a curious pink haired girl after being sentenced to a promising death in the Coliseum.
1. Playing With Fire

**Hallo all and welcome to the show! **

**Just a warning, this first chapter has no Sakura in it, but if you stick around I promise lots of Sakuray goodness. Also, this story deals with male on male activities, nothing explicit though, just implied, so watch where you step. **

**This takes place in ancient Rome, and I know that the names are going to sound weird because they're obviously very Japanese. And although I don't generally write with these pairings, I wanted to write a Roman fic and they were pretty easy choices to work with.**

**I don't own any of the following characters and have never claimed to.**

Two guards, built like bulls and just as savage, shoved the last prisoner into the stumbling crowd of confused and broken villagers with excessive force, causing the blonde man to slam onto the muddy ground with a splash. He clumsily stood after a hard blow to his ribs and multiple shouts to get up, tripping over his own feet as he attempted to catch his breath for just a second. He flipped his golden locks out of his face and blinked furiously, focusing on only the broad back of the man in front of him to prevent from tripping over once again.

The rain pelted tender skin, bruised and burned after the merciless pillaging that occurred just minutes ago. Everything happened so fast, one minute utmost silence and peace and the next a burning inferno that forced everyone out of their homes with only the clothes on their backs for protection. Naruto had been sleeping, as was the entire village, and was shocked to wake to a chorus of shrieks filled with terror and death. Needless to say, his brain was still trying to catch up with his body, which was burned badly on his left while blood stained his soaked white shirt from the painful slash on his cheek, compliments of one of the many ruthless soldiers that now kicked and whipped them to keep walking.

"No halting!" a voice shouted from somewhere to Naruto's right, followed by the stinging kiss of a metal tipped whip that left a gruesome gash across his right shoulder blade. At first he felt only the shock, as if electrocuted, from the thin leather and yelped not out of pain but surprise. Then the burning set in and it was unbearable, like a stream of fire right under the surface of his skin, worsened by the punishment of the angry rain as it lodged icy needles into the open wound. Only his fear of being hit again kept him from falling to his knees and stopping where he stood, instead choosing to push his heavy legs to keep going despite his body's constant complaining for rest.

_Just keep going, we'll stop soon enough. Don't stop yet. Can't stop yet…_

* * *

><p>"Your Majesty, the soldiers sent to gather more slaves have returned and request that you see them for inspection."<p>

The young ruler lifted his pale face from the book that he was so engrossed in, black bangs ominously shielding his onyx eyes from view. He silently stood from his throne and swiftly, but with the grace of a feline and just as sleek, passed the messenger and exited the massive room to go to the lower quarters of the palace without uttering a single word. The guard swallowed hard, worried about the deadly air that surrounded the preserved Caesar that afternoon. He was generally a very fair and kind ruler, but when something disturbed him he was known for lashing out very suddenly and with much blood spilt.

The Caesar, with his threatening presence sensed throughout the entire palace, stormed through the bright marble halls like a shadow, bursting through the slave keep's doors with obvious impatience. He stood in the high doorway, scanning the room slowly with keen eyes. He already began to pick out and group the weak from the strong, the attractive from the ugly, and unconsciously snarled in disgust at the group of sniveling, filthy slaves. He couldn't help but raise an amused brow at one man though, a blonde with a muscular body and sharp features that glared defiantly among the terrified glances that were shot at him.

He immediately knew that he would have fun with this one.

"Take them all to the slave quarters, separate the sick from the strong," he commanded in a soft but stern voice to the guards, lips barely moving and gaze locked on the fascinating blonde. They began to herd them deeper into the quarters when he stopped them with a nearly inaudible halt. "You," he stated simply while pointing to Naruto, "and you, come with me." The second man, with a more disheveled look and wide, daring eyes, stared stupidly at the pale man before hesitantly stepping forward to take his place next to the blonde, who continued to stare at the emperor with a look of utmost disdain. A thin smile crossed the ruler's colorless lips, but was gone as soon as it appeared. "Come," he said quietly, beckoning them to follow him.

They walked a little behind, wary of the mysterious man that seemed to hold a certain power over everyone. Naruto examined his companion more closely now that they were alone, surprised at how young he appeared to be. Well, no older than himself. He had messy chocolate brown hair, giving him a more ragged appearance than he already held, with hard, squinted eyes that had a very animalistic look to them. They were filled with mistrust, and who could blame him, but also a touch of what seemed to be fear, though he tried hard to hide it. He was taller than Naruto by a few inches, and was slightly lankier, but still quite muscular.

"What are your names?" a silky voice interrupted his thoughts, making him start slightly. He looked forward, taking in the raven haired man dressed in deep purple robes that glided on the floor behind him as he leisurely led them through the immense halls. Light flooded in from the high windows, bathing them in warmth and reflecting off the marble floors and walls, blinding the two dirty men a bit as they nervously followed the quiet man who gave all the orders. Then Naruto remembered that he had been asked for his name, and dumbly blurted his out without thinking, "Naruto," then shut his eyes tight and mentally slapped himself for being so easily controlled by this man, whom he immediately swore to never give into simply because he was the authority, the one that tore him from his normal life and dragged him here. _So much for rebelling._

The raven glanced back only momentarily, eyebrow raised at the peculiarity of the name, before snapping his gaze to the second man. The scruffy man kept his head down, either purposely refusing to speak or too spaced out to have heard the request. The Caesar stopped abruptly, surprising the two shadows following him from the suddenness of it all. He turned slowly, intrigued by the flinch that he got as he crept close to the unnamed slave. Naruto swallowed and bit his bottom lip out of habit, unsure of what the ghost of a man was planning on doing and not sure whether he should be worried or not.

The Caesar stopped just inches from the silent man, who preferred to keep his gaze locked on the floor than meet the emperor's eyes. A single, slim finger gently touched the man's chin and lifted his face so the raven could get a good look at the filthy face that caught his eye only moments before. He tensed at first, but gave in after a while and allowed the slender finger to detach his stare from his boots to meet the patient, onyx eyes that bored into him. He stared at the Caesar with a pouty look, almost pleading to let him be, and had to stop himself from reeling back when a white thumb brushed dirt from the corner of his mouth, hovering over his cracked lips for a few seconds before dropping back down to his side. "Your name," the Caesar whispered smoothly and sweetly, coaxing the man to open up to him.

He noticed the man's jaw clench tightly in thought and barely caught the name that hastily left his mouth like a sigh of defeat. "Kiba," he breathed then averted his gaze back down, not wanting to be read by those black eyes any longer. The Caesar smiled and gently, always gently, guided Kiba's shy eyes back up to look into his with the slightest help of his slender hand on the man's cheek.

"Is there something more interesting on the ground that I've not been noticing, or are you just refusing to look at me," the Caesar half teased, half demanded in that same sweet voice. He didn't want to leave these precious specimen too frightened to look at him after all, not yet anyways. He had plenty of time for that later, when they become better acquainted. He laughed quietly at his own cleverness, brushed Kiba's hair back affectionately, and turned back to continue walking to wherever he was leading them, this time letting silence reign over the group and smirking deviously to himself for what was to come.

They were led into a massive room, with walls that were decorated in various shades of satin and intricate carvings of lions in the gold trim high on the marble walls. This room was less lit, with only a single ceiling opening to let light filter in and cast a warm glow in the room. There were, however, lanterns lit along the wall, giving the room a faint light that never wavered. There was a large bath, big enough for five, in the center of the room, with steam dancing on the water's surface like erotic figures. Surrounding it were many different sorts of exotic oils and flowers to give the room a wonderfully heady scent. There were also many clean, white robes folded neatly and ready to wear around the edges of the bath. The two slaves examined the room with wide eyes, having never seen anything nearly as extravagant in their respective villages. The Caesar walked to the bath's edge and leisurely swirled his hand in the clear water, smiling invitingly at the two filthy slaves.

"Please, if you are to stay in any part of this palace you must at least be kept decent," the raven said in a voice as smooth as the water his hand caressed.

"You wish us to strip now?" Kiba asked in a tentative voice.

"Well I do not expect you to bath with your garments on, unless you would prefer to stay as filthy as you are," he answered in a distant tone, as if he was wishing to be elsewhere, though that was far from true. He wanted them to be clean, of course, but also wanted to inspect the men that he chose, making sure that they did not disappoint when it came to their physique.

And so they stripped, slowly at first, embarrassed and unwilling to be nude in front of other men, but soon gave up and stripped completely before slipping into the water's warm embrace with content sighs. The Caesar watched them both with hungry eyes, drinking in every curve, every muscle and imperfection that adorned their bodies. He was not disappointed at all, but shivering with excitement at his choices.

Without hesitation, he slipped out of his heavy velvet robes and slid into the water between the two men on the edge, who eyed him wearily and kept their distance, though being discreet about it. The Caesar smirked at this and beckoned Kiba to him with a pale arm. "Come to me," he said sternly, not taking no for an answer and saying so with his hard black eyes. Kiba took in a deep breath but did as he was told, scooting closer to the pale man with a careful look, almost cautious. When he was in arms reach, the gap was closed by the emperor and he ran a tender hand down Kiba's face, rubbing off the dirt and grime as he did so.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked quietly, but loud enough for Naruto to hear, who had been watching the whole scene with a worried expression. True, he didn't realy know Kiba, but he was worried something would happen to him just the same, as with the many people who were killed brutally by the soldiers "escorting" them the entire way here. Besides, if anything bad were to happen to his fellow village man, then he would surely be next to suffer the same fate.

Kiba shook his head, though he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that this man was of utmost importance. Naruto listened intently to the exchange, aware that these words were also meant for his ears. "I am the Caesar, the ruler and emperor of the land that you call home, if you had yet to put the pieces together yourself," he said in a matter-of-factly tone. Kiba's eyes widened in disbelief but quickly squinted back into their cynical norm.

"It is an honor, great Caesar," Kiba said in a clear voice for the first time, bowing his head to lay a light kiss on the pale hand in front of him.

Sasuke grinned with delight, glad that his slaves were choosing to be compliant. Well, one of them was anyways, but he would find out about the other soon…

"Come here, Naruto," he said, testing the strange name for the first time and loving how it rolled off his tongue. The blond stood, leaving his sculpted torso exposed to the air, and slowly made his way to Sasuke, stopping inches away from him with that daring glint still in his eyes, though it was concealed behind fake adoration.

"My lord?" he said in an innocent voice. Oh yes, he was going to have fun breaking this one in, it was clear from the way he challenged his authority, even if he pretended to be willing and ready to obey. If there was one thing Sasuke loved about being Caesar, it was breaking the rebellious down so they were crawling at his feet, adoring him and accepting that no one could resist his rule, no matter how strong they were.

Sasuke grabbed a cloth from behind him and dipped it into the scented water, never breaking eye-contact with the blond. He slowly reached up to the bronze face in front of him, cloth in hand, and began to scrub away the filth that covered his perfectly tanned skin. Slowly, the film of dirt gave way to reveal Naruto's true face, young and resilient, ready to take on any that challenge him. Sasuke smiled inwardly, for he had indeed chosen the most beautiful men this reaping had to offer. Naruto had just stood there, unmoving as the Caesar scrubbed away his imperfections and keeping an unreadable look plastered on his face the entire time.

"Lean back so I may dunk your head," Sasuke said softly as he began to guide the blond back by his broad shoulders. He complied, allowing him to dunk his head only long enough so that he could scrub the unwanted soot and grime from his luscious golden locks. He swiftly brought his head back up and swept his dripping hair out of those endless ocean-blue eyes, then stared dreamily into them, losing himself in the sea that was held in this man's orbs. "Kiss me," he whispered steamily, earning a look of disgust from the blond.

"I would ne-" he started in protest, but was immediately interrupted when Sasuke grabbed a handful of blond hair and yanked it back, causing his back to arch and his neck to snap backwards with it.

Sasuke moved in closer and lowered his lips to Naruto's throat, smirking against the soft, fragrant skin. "You will learn to do what I say," he muttered against the length of his throat, causing him to shudder uncontrollably, all the way up to his strong jaw, where he stopped and started kissing lightly until he reached the corner of his mouth. "I would hate to see what happens to you if you don't do otherwise," he warned and pulled back, releasing the handful of hair that he previously gripped.

Sasuke tapped his own lip lightly, signifying that he still expected that kiss. Naruto glared at him angrily and growled low in his throat, but moved in to close the gap nonetheless, mouth tightly shut, leaving the kiss chaste and uneventful. Sasuke grinned against his lips and snaked his arm between the two so he could pinch one of Naruto's nipples, causing him to jump and open his mouth in protest. Sasuke took advantage of the opportunity and delved deep into his warm mouth with an eager tongue, tasting him from the inside and breathing in his musky scent. Naruto, against his will and to his utter disbelief, moaned into the kiss and started to respond back with his own fervor. Then just as he started to enjoy the close contact and heated exchange, he was pushed back with a light shove. He blinked stupidly at the ruler, who smirked knowingly with that snotty superior look that nobles gave to the lower class. Naruto instantly went back to hating him, and hating himself for giving in yet again, allowing this man to control him without him even noticing then giving him that _I'm better than you are, because you are weak_ look.

Gods he hated that look.

Naruto continued to fume as he watched the Caesar do the same to Kiba, who had learned from his predecessor to not resist. And even as he requested a kiss from the feral man, smirking against his lips probably, Naruto knew he was still enjoying the fact that he was able to seduce him into doing what he told him. And how right he was, because there was nothing that Sasuke loved more than controlling those who resist.

* * *

><p>After the Caesar had showed them to their room, told them that they were guests and that they needn't worry and left with nothing more than a goodnight, they saw no more of him. It was as if he vanished completely from the palace itself because they heard nothing, no news or greetings, and were only visited when they were given food to eat and cleaning materials with fresh clothes. Not even the guards, who stood dutifully by the doors all day and night, said nothing, not even the slightest noise. For all they knew, the guards were nothing more than statues that they only saw when a visitor came in to give them basic supplies to live.<p>

They were put in a massive room, like all the rest, with a high ceiling that had sunlight shining in from above. There were lamps also, of course, and the floor was generously decorated with pillows bigger than one's body and satin sheets, all rich colors that made the floors seem like they were bleeding wine. Then in the middle of the room was a low table that you had to sit down to eat at, and this area was raised slightly from the rest of the room. There wasn't much to do on their free time, which was all the time, but they had been given access to a supply of books, stored in a bookshelf on one of the fair ends of the room. There was also a harp in one corner of the room, but it was never played due to a lack of people able to navigate around its harmonious strings.

Oh, and they were not alone in these quarters. When the two arrived, clean and aware of the Caesar's intentions for them, they were met by many others, whom they assume are used for the same purpose as them. There were three other men, handsome much like themselves with a lazy look in their bored eyes as they briefly glance at the newcomers. There is also one girl, with strange white eyes, that shies away from the others. They had been introduced by the Caesar briefly but were otherwise just dumped in there with the rest and told to get to know each other.

With so much on their hands nowadays, getting to know one another was the first thing they set out to do. When dinner was served that night, and the dinner was actually quite decent compared to what they were expecting, they asked questions about the others and answered those that were shot at them.

"My name is Hidan," the man said as he shoved his hand out to be shaken. Kiba gave him a curious look, tilting his head to one side as he examined the rather strange man. He had bright silver hair, slicked back neatly away from his face. He had a somewhat thin face, pale and handsome. His most notable feature was without a doubt his mouth, never stopping once as he spewed out words a mile a minute, and also permanently held in a crooked grin that gave him a mischievous look, always planning something new.

"Naruto," the blond replied and took his hand in his own tan one. He was surprised at how firm the other's shake was, despite his somewhat fragile appearance.

"Kiba," the other said and also shook his outstretched hand.

Hidan's grin widened, "Well it's always great to have more company! Come on, I'll show you around." He maneuvered behind them and threw an arm around each of their wide shoulders, ushering them deeper into the room towards a man, or boy would be a better term, with shocking red hair that lay on his side while reading a book on one of the many cushions. He didn't look up to see who was approaching them, and only acknowledge them with the slightest tilt of his head.

"This little bugger is Gaara, the youngest out of all of us and will only ever talk to you to tell you to stop talking. Good man though, doesn't bother you when you want time to yourself," Hidan gave Gaara a friendly smile once he finally decided to sit up and address his observers with light, almost translucent eyes with a thick rim of what they could only guess was kohl, though it was strange to see men wearing it in Rome. Obviously he wasn't from around here; it was clear from his face. He was slightly more exotic than the rest, with wide almond shaped eyes that seemed innocent enough, but held a more disapproving glint in them. His features were soft, almost feminine. He certainly did look young, more so than anyone else, and couldn't be a day older than 18.

"New ones," he stated, more to himself than anyone else, in a deep voice that didn't match his boyish body at all.

"Profound of you to notice," Hidan drawled, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Gaara scowled and lay back down to continue reading, deciding that they no longer interested him. Hidan rolled his eyes and pushed them along, away from the slender boy who seemed too engrossed in his book to pay them any mind. "Don't mind him," Hidan urged in a hushed tone, "he just takes some time to warm up to. Plus he doesn't really talk much, even to us, so it is a bit tricky to get to know him, but he's a good kid nonetheless."

"We never did get to tell him our names," Kiba said with brows knit.

Hidan waved it off, "Don't worry, I'm sure he overheard us from before. He pays more attention to what's going around him than he lets off," he explained in a nonchalant tone.

They continued walking across the sea of cushions and silk, stopping a foot or so away from a man with long, silky black hair that fell in waves down his back. His head perked up when he heard their light footsteps and his face tilted upwards towards the faint sunlight that filtered in.

"You're getting worse and worse with your attacks, Hidan," he spoke clearly in a deep baritone.

"Not today Neji, I'm just giving our new mates a tour of the place," Hidan explained with a widening grin. Neji turned around and stared at them with a blank look in his white pupils. Naruto and Kiba were shocked by the beauty held in those knowing eyes. Little did they know that he wasn't staring at them, but past them into a black void that went on endlessly.

Neji smiled faintly and shook his head, "Please do not be disturbed, I am simply blind," he confessed while gesturing to his eyes, knowing all too well that his gaze was unnerving them. Hell, it even creeped the others out at times and they were fully aware of his predicament. The two men relaxed at hearing that, feeling a little silly for not realizing it sooner from his empty, clear orbs. "Hidan here finds it amusing to try and sneak up on me when he suspects that I am preoccupied," he continued with a chuckle, "but little does he know that I have extraordinary senses to compensate for my lack of sight."

"I know damn well what you can sense, which is what makes it the more challenging," Hidan huffed with a pout. "Neji here has sharpened his senses to catch even the minutest of sounds or smells, and is more than capable of maneuvering around without any help. Though he sometimes enjoys using his handicap as an excuse to get people to do things for him, lazy bastard," Hidan snarled playfully, nudging said bastard with an elbow. "It doesn't help that the Caesar gives him special treatment, thinking that he is so fragile that he can't even clothe himself," Hidan went on jealously, "although he can surely take out any of the guards with frightening ease."

Neji turned his head down somewhat shamefully, "You praise me too highly Hidan," he muttered with a smile.

Hidan rolled his eyes and moved back to Kiba's side, "Well this one here is Kiba," he stopped to slap Kiba's shoulder good naturedly, "and the other's Naruto. Better get used to them because from what I hear they're the Caesar's new favorites!"

Neji grabbed a ripe peach from the nearby table, inhaling its sweet scent before taking a timid bite into its furry exterior. "Weren't we all at one time?" he mused quietly and licked the dripping nectar from the corner of his mouth. "Good to meet you, Naruto and Kiba," he said in a cheerful tone and went back to savoring his precious fruit.

"Everyone here seems so… content," Kiba said as they walked away to meet the timid girl that occupied herself with something in the far corner of the room.

"That's because we are!" Hidan exclaimed gleefully. "The food is good, the water fresh, the winters warm and the summers pleasant. What more could man ask for?" He looked dreamily up into the sky for a bit then sighed and continued walking to towards the shy girl.

"Hinata, my dear!" Hidan yelled as he approached, causing the poor girl to start and scratch an ugly line across the paper she had been writing so carefully on. She sighed in defeat and set the crinkly material down along with the feather pan she had been delicately using to stand and greet the obnoxious man with a small smile. Hidan moved towards her with his arms outstretched and embraced her in a friendly hug, turning around to grin to his followers while keeping a long arm draped over the girls small shoulders. "Hinata, meet Naruto and Kiba, our new roommates," he said in his booming voice, which was far too loud for such close encounters.

"H-hello," he stuttered quietly with a blush creeping along her plump cheeks. She had the same eyes as Neji, and Naruto immediately wondered if she, too, was blind, but then remembered that she had been writing before so it was impossible.

"Are you related, you and Neji?" Naruto inquired thoughtfully, noticing the striking resemblance between the two. She also had his silky black hair, but hers seemed to look almost dark blue as the faint sunlight hit it. She looked young, innocent and pure like the plain white robes that draped over her slender body.

"Yes," she replied in the same timid tone," He, well we are-"

"They're cousins, captured and brought together," Hidan interrupted with the same dirty grin splitting his face. "The Caesar picked just Neji originally, but he refused to leave this little kitten alone in the evil hands of those slave drivers, insisting that he needed her to guide him through this labyrinth of a palace, which is of course a total lie. Still, the Caesar doesn't hold it against him, since Hinata has made it up to his majesty quite enough from what I hear." Upon hearing these words, Hinata's blush deepened into a dark crimson color and she refused to meet the eyes of her new companions.

Naruto and Kiba stared at her incredulously, refusing to believe that someone as angelic as her could take part in any form of degrading acts, such as those expected from a harem, which is what the two realized they were part of after a while. The thought had dawned on them when they were forced to strip in front of the Caesar and kiss him, but for some reason it didn't really set in until they arrived at the harem quarters.

"Wait, from what I see the Caesar only really likes are guys," Kiba objected in confusion, "so why did he take you in?" He was addressing Hinata, who gave up on trying to shrink into the floor to avoid any further embarrassment.

Hidan jumped in to answer for her, all too eager to keep the newcomers entertained. "The Caesar _prefers _men, but has no objections when it comes to women. Though it is not uncommon, from what I've heard, for great rulers. It's not love or anything, only wild and savage sex," he went on with a shrug, oblivious to Hinata's dangerously reddening cheeks, "and you don't need to be so gentle when it comes to men." He crossed his arms proudly over his chest, satisfied with his reasoning behind it all. "But for those days when our lord wants the soft caress of a woman, he has Hinata over here get the job done instead," Hidan pointed a thumb in Hinata's direction with a crooked smile on his face.

Just when Hinata thought she could take no more humiliation, Hidan always managed to find a way to make things even more awkward. And to her greatest relief, dinner was brought in just as he was about to continue with his blatant sex stories about her, saving her from dying of shame. She smiled awkwardly at the three of them and quickly made her way next to Neji, who had already begun to tear off a piece of warm bread for himself.

Hidan gave the two of them a close-lipped smile and placed his hands on his hips. "Well that's all of them," he breathed with finality and walked over to his respective end of the table to sit.

The food was good, though the fruit was bruised and the meat slightly overcooked. It seemed that they got the undesired choices when it came to the meals, the food that was not worthy of being given to his majesty. It was only barely flawed, and still quite delectable, especially compared to what the other slaves were being fed. That was another reason they were given it, to remind them they were indeed still slaves, even if given better privileges that the others. Kiba and Naruto dug into the meat ferociously, having just realized how hungry they were after not being properly fed for some time now. The others watched in amusement, idly nibbling on various pieces of food out of boredom more so than hunger.

"So what did you do before you were taken into slavery?" Neji asked thoughtfully, catching the two men's attention away from their meal for a second. Naruto swallowed his half-chewed piece of meat and grinned, showing off an array of bright teeth aligned neatly in his mouth.

"I was a man of the sea," he stated proudly, running a hand through his sun bleached hair. "I came home from a rather long voyage one day, exhausted, and woke up to find my small village burning down," he sighed and smiled sadly at them. "Even now, I want nothing more than to be back out at sea, where my true home is."

Kiba gave him a sympathetic look and wiped his mouth to tell his story. "I was a hunter, taking down anything from a squirrel to a bear," he said with a puff of his chest. "I was out in the woods one day, tracking down a rather sneaky little wolf that kept eating the local crops, and accidently shot an arrow through a band of soldiers. They immediately snatched me up and started beating on me, lashing at me with their damn whips. Next thing I know, I'm being forced into the crowd and dragged all the way out here for 'assaulting authorities'," he sneered with a wrinkle of his nose. "I just hope they didn't hurt my dogs, because that would be unforgivable."

Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow at the two, showing real interest in them for the first time that day. "A hunter and a sailor, what are the odds?" he said in that same low voice that he always did. He absently bit into an orange slice, letting the juices drip down onto his white robe where it stained it slightly. "I was once a bard, entertaining everyone from lords and nobles to those that passed me on the street. I was doing quite well on my own until the Caesar saw me performing at a banquet one evening and took a liking to me," he said in a distant voice, as if his mind was elsewhere. Everyone looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to explain his past since he rarely ever talked about it. Maybe he was just in an exceptionally good mood that evening.

Hidan took the silence as his turn to speak, and did so in his overly cocky voice. "I was a priest," he declared with pride, much to Kiba and Naruto's shock, "and one evening I was told that someone of great importance was coming to our temple, but was never told it was the Caesar himself, so thought little of it." He leaned back against the wall and rested his hands on his stomach, looking to the stars as he told his story. "So the Caesar comes in the middle of my sermon, much to my pleasant surprise, and watches me patiently from one of the back benches. I was nervous, of course, and started to trip over my words, which amused the Caesar greatly, I could tell from his lazy grin," he grimaced at the memory and shook his head. "Anyways, he approached me later that day, requesting that I come back to Rome with him and act as his personal guider, saying that his current one passed away just days ago due to old age. I accepted, of course, and travelled back here with him.

"So one day he calls me to his private quarters, explaining that something was troubling him. I went, expecting nothing more than an in depth conversation, and received much more… physically speaking," he grinned mischievously at just the thought of it, looking straight at the two newest members through hooded eyes. "He made the move on me, and not the other way around, but who am I to refuse his advances?" he pouted at them with mock innocence. "He thoroughly ruined my priestmanship that night, and I don't regret it one bit."

Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and was glad to have the silver haired man's stare averted to Kiba when he spoke up. "Sp you are a very religious man still, no?"

"Oh yes, of course," Hidan replied quickly while nodding his head in approval. "You don't simply turn your back on religion when it was your sole purpose in life for so long. I simply view it a bit differently nowadays is all, with a more open mind," he waved his hands in the air in emphasis and shot a grin at Neji. "But I'm sure Neji here has much more interesting tale to tell."

Neji sighed and closed his eyes in thought, opening them once again but seeing nothing when he found the words to say. "I was a monk, living high in the mountains and training my body and mind. I was born blind, you see, and taken in by the monks when I was just a baby, found at the foot of the mountains after a rather gruesome massacre of my village. They raised me, taught me their ways and accepted me as one of their own. It was only when I left to venture off, as so many others do, that I met Hinata, shivering and dying in the streets. She recognized me from my eyes, which share a resemblance to hers, and stopped me as I was about to leave the town for good. I found out that she was my blood, separated after the massacre and left lonely and poor after her father died from sickness. Together we travelled, living off of various jobs that were given to us by locals and moving on to the next town. This is how we lived until we were stopped one day, taken into slavery by Roman soldiers and dragged here. And, well, you know the rest."

Naruto listened intently, amazed at the variety of the group, pulled together by a single factor. "But why would you be taken if you had done nothing wrong?" the blond asked with knitted brows.

Neji shrugged, "I suppose we were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

* * *

><p>At least a week had passed and still no sign of the Caesar, but when Naruto questioned Hidan about this he simply waved a hand and said that it was always like that. Apparently, the Caesar was off on business quite often, and when he came home, worn and stressed, he turned to them to make things better.<p>

Well the Caesar was home again, and he made himself known to his precious harem.

He barged into the doorway, as demanding as ever, and immediately pointed to Naruto and Kiba. "You," he said in his sinister voice, "Come with me. It's about time I test out my new toys."

And so they went, following obediently with their stomachs in knots. They hadn't heard anything bad about the Caesar when it came to his "activities," but they hadn't heard much good about it either. Actually, they can't remember being told much of anything when it came to what he actually did with you behind his bedroom doors.

They passed through many hallways, almost all identical to each other, and stopped in what could only be his private quarters. Their bare feet were freezing against the cool marble and stone that adorned the palace floor, and there was a breeze tearing through their cotton robes, which left half of their chests and a good portion of their legs uncovered and vulnerable to the elements. The pale Caesar told his guards to stand down and leave them undisturbed as he closed the door to his room, which was brightly lit from the open balcony that allowed light to flood in.

The two men, unsure on what to do, stood stiffly by the balcony, watching the Caesar move around his room and collect or move various items as though there was no one there at all but him. He wore a simple beige robe, lined with sparkling gold trim that glittered as he moved and shimmered in the sunlight. It contrasted greatly with his pitch black hair, which was hastily slicked back in a spiky mess with his bangs falling loose over his eyes as they usually did, giving him a much more mysterious presence. There was always some uncertainty towards those whose eyes you couldn't see, especially when they held the power to do whatever they wanted.

The two were snapped out of their thoughts by his harsh voice, "Strip, and wait on the bed while I get something." A simple enough command to follow, but one that made their stomachs flip. Neither had ever slept with a man, or even thought of it, and were worried with what the ruler planned on doing with them. They awkwardly stripped, leaving their clothes in white lumps on the floor as they made their way towards the generous bed. It was big, much too big for one person, but there would be more than just a single person on it today, so it was no problem.

Sasuke came back in with his robe hanging loosely on his hips, leaving his well toned torso exposed. He held oil in one hand and began to pour some in his free hand with hooded eyes, eyes red with lust. He placed the bottle on a bedside table and rubbed it slowly between his hands, sniffing deeply to capture the heavy lavender scent it let off. He looked up at the two fidgeting men with playful eyes, "Lavender."

He rubbed the oil sensually over his chest, moaning softly as it relaxed his overworked muscles and left an intoxicating scent on his skin. He paused only momentarily to look at his audience, who watched with wide eyes, and give another command. "Kiss each other, make a good show," he said in a low voice.

And so they did, with eyes pinched closed and noses wrinkled. They heard Sasuke make a sound of disapproval somewhere to the side and where caught off guard when his cold hands snaked their way between them, pulling them apart. He stood in front of them and pushed back on their chest so they moved farther onto the bed, which he climbed into after they were far enough. He eyes them like a lion does a deer, which hungry eyes and a wicked smile.

"Don't you remember how to do it?" he asked mockingly. "Then I suppose I must teach you again," and grabbed Kiba fiercely to smash his lips to the others, forcing his mouth open with a greedy tongue that explored every inch of his warm cave. Kiba groaned into the kiss and wrapped his hands around Sasuke to grab a handful of messy black hair.

Naruto could only watch with a cringe, unwilling to give himself up so easily. When Sasuke broke the kiss and turned with hazy eyes to study Naruto, who automatically shot back his daring glare, he shuddered in excitement and moved across the bed to meet his blond beauty. He ran a hand over the tanned chest and made his way up to fist a handful of golden hair. "You are truly beautiful," he whispered in a husky voice against Naruto's soft skin and pulled him into a kiss.

Naruto played along at first, allowing the raven's tongue to explore his mouth hungrily before biting down on the slimy appendage, earning a yelp of pain from the Caesar. He jumped away in surprise and touched his bleeding tongue with wide eyes, trying to understand what just happened. Naruto was smirking at him with daring eyes, sending him over the edge in a rage. He lashed out to deliver a crippling blow to the blonds face, causing him to fall backwards. Sasuke quickly pounced, straddling him and yanking Naruto's head back with a tight grip on his hair.

"I can just as easily ruin your pretty looks," he growled inches away from the Naruto's shocked face. Kiba sat up abruptly and tried to register what was going on, blinking wildly in confusion. Sasuke pulled out a small blade from God knows where and sliced a thin line across Naruto's cheek, leaving a flow of crimson blood to drip onto the sheets below and causing him to yell out in pain. The line went from his right temple to his chin and refused to stop bleeding, obscuring his vision where the blood flowed into his eyes.

"Don't test me, because I can assure you that a death by my hand will be much more painful than anything you could imagine," Sasuke seethed angrily. He bent down and slowly dragged his tongue against the gushing wound, keeping Naruto's head still with a hard yank of his hair, surely pulling out more than a few strands. He stopped abruptly and crashed his mouth to Naruto's once again, shoving his tongue deep into the other's mouth. Naruto could taste his own blood, like traces of metal on the man's tongue, and held absolutely still as his mouth was ravaged.

"You will learn to love me," Sasuke whispered in the blond's ear after breaking the kiss, tickling his lobe with the soft caress of his lips. "You will either learn or die, your choice." Naruto could only grit his teeth as he was more or less permanently ruined, and buried his head in the pillow after it all when the Caesar was too exhausted to keep his eyes open a second longer. Hot tears of shame and humiliation soaked the deep red satin pillows, and his stifled sobs were only heard by Kiba, who watched him with pity filled eyes. He laid a calloused hand on the bronze back and soothingly rubbed back and forth until the sobs were nothing more than whimpers, and later silence altogether.

* * *

><p>They were ordered away the next morning, led back to their room with nothing but their disheveled robes. The others gave them curious looks, knowing all too well what they spent their day doing while they were away. That morning when breakfast was served, Naruto stayed silent and simply sat there, moving only to take an occasional bite out of a slice of fruit or to sip his sweet wine. Kiba kept glancing over to him with worried eyes, unsure if he should comfort him or just let it be. He quite enjoyed his time with the Caesar, but he was willing to bite down his pride unlike his rebellious counterpart.<p>

Naruto earned many strange looks from the others due to the large slash down his cheek, which had only just started to heal, and the bruises that adorned his face and shoulders. He also had a rather nasty wound in the junction of his next where he was bitten by Sasuke in the heat of their activities, and the skin had more or less been torn off completely, leaving an angry wound in its place. The others know how the Caesar could get, having been there for some time now, and were more than just a little curious about how things went on Naruto's side. They refrained from saying anything, however, since the man had completely shut himself off from the rest of the world. When it came to eating or bathing, he had to be urged by either Hidan or Neji, and the occasional Kiba, to get up and moving. Even then, he only made a minimal effort to perform simple tasks then went back to his corner, left with only his thoughts.

Hinata would watch him with troubled eyes, wanting nothing more than to talk to him but never building up the courage to get up and do it. If there was one thing she hated about herself, it was how weak she was. Never having enough courage to speak up for herself or stand for what she believes in, and a little piece of her dies whenever she finds herself too frightened or shy to do something, which is more often than not.

Naruto glared at the dancing flame on the wall, letting his hatred for the Caesar simmer dangerously deep in his chest. He would never be able to forgive the raven no matter what he did, no matter what the retribution. His body had been permanently soiled by the evil that was embodied in that man's soul. He felt empty, broken, and worthless, like an empty shell compared to what he was before. The days blurred together for him despite the encouragement from the others, which is all he had to keep going really. Without them he probably would just rot away in the corner, never moving from that spot.

How did the others do it? How could they just accept that they were being used without any thought, any feeling at all? And then it dawned on him, hitting him lick a stack of bricks. That _was_ the reason they were able to accept it! Because they thought of his abuse as nothing more than just something on a physical level, just like taking a bath or slicing your hand on a blade; there was no feeling of humiliation or broken pride for them because none of those things were being put on them.

No, he was the only one that the sadistic emperor took pleasure in dominating, and it was all because he was enabling it. The more he struggled, the more the Caesar got off on breaking him down. On the other hand, if he didn't struggle then he would be breaking his most basic morals that he's kept his entire life.

Never give up and never back down on your word, those were the words that he lived his life by. Letting the ruler control him, use him like he's made to do, would be giving up. But fighting back and losing anyways was just as bitter as cheating yourself, so in reality there was no real way for him to come out victorious here. It all made his head pound, thinking about all the ways that his pride has been defiled, but it was all that he could focus on in his silent rage.

He lay down, curled up into himself on the silken bed of pillows and sheets, and closed his eyes to stop his racing thoughts. He slowly but surely drifted off into sleep, with the scornful eyes of the Caesar burned into the back of his eyelids. He would definitely need a plan to figure out how he would deal with all of this, because there was no way he was going to live like this for the indefinite period of time that was his life.

_Yes, I'll find a way. There has to be a way, there just has to…_

**Please tell me what you think so far, because this is really just setting up for the main plot. Also, like I said before, Sakura will come in later in the story, just be patient.**

**Thank you for reading and I hope you have a pleasant tomorrow.**


	2. A Man Burns

**As promised, Sakura shall be making her appearance in this chapter. Also, I apologize for the wait but the holidays backed me up, along with finals.**

**I unfortunately own no rights to the Naruto franchise, and no money was made in the production of this story. **

Naruto swallowed down the big lump clogging his throat and quickly swiped his moist palms across the side of his robed thigh, praying like a pagan to all that was and ever will be holy that his nervous actions would go unnoticed. He silently scolded himself for being such a coward after weeks of planning and anticipation, weeks of fidgeting and hopeful looks to the door of their harem room whenever it groaned open to announce another visitor. Of course, he would always be disappointed to find a guard or cook to bring them something instead of the man that he had come to loath so passionately. He was waiting for his pretty little crow to come out and play so he may finally shoot like a hunter in the woods.

Speaking of hunters; his accomplice in all this, a man that he has come to trust completely and without any doubt, has shown the true patience that a predator learns whilst patiently awaiting his prey. Kiba had been the one to constantly shush the blonde whenever he jumped at the slightest news of the Caesar's arrival, muttering under his breath to calm down or he'll give them both away before they even get the chance to lay a hand on their captor's smooth, pale face. Naruto would proceed to blow off some steam and pace a bit before plopping down once again and scowling at the marble wall, an act that showed just how impatient the man truly was and made Kiba chuckle. He would always wonder how this child-like man survived out at sea, left with nothing to do but stare into the horizon as you waited for some food to catch.

But that was long ago, or so it seemed anyways, when they were still safe in the confines of their room, well fed and taken care of. Now they were about to commit the most offensive act anyone could possibly go for. They were about to murder the Caesar, great ruler and leader of Rome, the most powerful empire in the world. And if they couldn't do that, they would at least try to and that in itself was punishable by death, or worse. Naruto was sure the sick minded bastard that got off on making others squirm at his feet could come up with some pretty creative, and excruciating, ways to slowly kill the two men. He would probably make it public too, just because he could and there's nothing that the people like more than a good bloodbath.

There was a click somewhere behind Naruto, bringing him to his senses so he could finally register where he had been lead to, shackled and chained of course, by two of the silent guards. He was in the Caesar's chambers, which didn't surprise him one bit, with the Caesar himself standing by the opening of his balcony, staring out into the city, _his _city, with slender hands lazily clasped behind his back. He look as menacing as he did beautiful, with a mid-length off white robe that was intricately designed with gold dust, making swirling patterns that snaked up his slender body where the robe was draped over him. It wasn't as thick as his previous robes, the summer heat made sure of that, and it blew back from the slight breeze to hug his sculpted body like a second skin. It contrasted dramatically with his stark black hair, which was swept back in a messy fashion as usual. Naruto simply stood in the doorway and admired him from afar, allowing himself to be lost in the gracefulness of the deer as it grazed before he pounced and devoured its soft flesh with animistic fervor. Yes, he was to be the lion and his prey now pranced before him.

"It would be a shame if this was the last time we met, wouldn't you say?" Sasuke murmured absently without removing his sight from his city as everyone bustled to finish sales and pack up shop so they could make it home for dinner before the sun set completely. He was staring off into the mountains, which covered up more of the orange glow by the second as the sun continued to set.

Naruto eyed the man carefully, sensing an underlying threat in that innocent statement. "I agree, but no man can foresee what will occur the next day," Naruto replied in a careful voice.

This made Sasuke's ears perk up, and he tilted his head slightly to get a glance at the other man. "I hope you are not implying that either of us will fall ill or become the victim of some other fatal event," he softly but not without suspicion.

"Oh, of course not!" Naruto assured in the best way he could. "I would hate to see anything befall our leader, and with no one to back him up on the throne."

Sasuke smirked slightly, turning to look at the man full on for the first time in weeks, if not months. He was just as taken away by the blonde's magnificence as he was the day he first laid his careful eyes on him. He was wary of how he was acting though, what with this new compliance that the feisty slave was giving him compared to before. It tickled him in a way that he could not yet decide was good or bad. All he knew was that it intrigued him, to say the least.

The Caesar slinked forward to Naruto's side like a snake and just as quiet. Without a word, he circled the chained man with hungry eyes and caressed his tanned skin just barely with silky hands, making Naruto shiver. His heart felt like it would beat out of his chest and plop onto the floor with how erratically it was thumping. Sasuke's blood-red tongue poked out just briefly to wet his lips before he whispered into those golden locks. "You seemed to have made up your mind," he murmured in a husky voice.

Naruto nodded absently and barely croaked out a yes in response. He continued to stare straight, keeping his blue eyes locked on the spot that was occupied by the man looming over him just moments ago, body tensing under every tender stroke or gentle nudge. Even the smallest contact of flesh could be felt through every nerve in his body, and his skin felt like it had thousands of microscopic needles stuck in it. He was sure that his face was a wonderful shade of red by now, because he could feel his blood coursing through his body like a gushing river. He heard, and felt the ghost of a man inhale deeply near his right ear and could just feel those black eyes piercing through him under hooded eyelids.

"Good, because I would hate to have to ruin that pretty little face of yours," Sasuke continued in the same sensuous voice, rich like velvet. He undid the chain on the blonde's neck, which fell to the floor with a soft thump, and gently pulled the tan face to meet his with a hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and slowly pressed his thin lips to Naruto's full ones, mouth only partly open and almost hesitant with how faint the kiss was. Naruto neither fought nor responded to the contact, but simply stayed as still as possible, waiting for the defining moment of freedom when his cursed shackles would be removed, allowing him access to the Caesar to end all this.

Just as he had hoped, Sasuke's hands roamed down to the small of his back where his hands where tightly bound together, fumbling around slightly before inserting the key in and turning it with a tiny click that echoed loudly in Naruto's ears. But before the blonde could even begin to get the blood flowing into his hands, Sasuke grabbed both wrists and yanked them in between the two, locking them once more in front of the man with a sadistic grin spreading across his face. "Wouldn't want you to get away just yet, now would I?" he said in a low, taunting voice that caused Naruto's heart to cease beating altogether.

What had just happened? One second he was moments away from feeling the Caesar's pulse slowly diminish from under his palms and the next his hopes of murder where stomped from a simply twist of the key. Naruto froze completely, horror seizing up his body like a vice. He couldn't even feel the slobbery kisses that were being trailed down his color bone, working to what could only be his navel. Things were not at all going as planned, and all he could do was stand there stupidly as the color drained from his face.

Sasuke stood straight once again and started to cut through the thin cotton that made up the slave's clothing with a tiny blade, pulling the useless cloth off his shoulder and tossing it to the floor. He admired the tanned body only for a short while before taking off his own robes, but making sure to set them safely on the chair that was placed facing the city in front of his balcony. He led Naruto's stiff figure next to the grossly large bed with a smirk. "And here I thought you were going to be fun to break in. I guess you're not as strong-willed as I had hoped for though. Oh well," he thought out loud with a tone of slight disappointment, but his satisfaction could not be hidden through the pout. And that's when Naruto's stupefied state broke like a glass smashed by stone.

Naruto yanked his arm free of the Caesar's nonchalant grasped and, with the speed of a man running on more adrenaline than even his rage, slammed his chained arms on either side of the Caesar's head and crossed them over at the back of his neck. Before the Caesar could even blink, Naruto had effectively wrapped the heavy duty chain that bound his hands around the pale neck and was now cutting off the circulation of air with the very thing that the Caesar used to control him with. "I am not one of your playthings to just be used on a whim," Naruto snarled heatedly into the choking man's ear. Sasuke's hands flailed desperately but grasped nothing but air, and his screams where caught in the metal of the chain that was taut against his throat even as he clawed away at it. "And you will never break me, not even with all the power you hold over Rome, you will never get to me," he added in the same vicious tone. He was breathing hard and not even the feeling of the smaller man squirming below him was enough to make him rethink what he was doing and slacken the chains. If anything, he tightened his hold as the Caesar became weaker and weaker, his arms twitching only occasionally in a pathetic attempt to get the chain off him even if he knew this was the end, killed by a lowly whore that was nothing more than a non-compliant slave in his harem.

But just as Naruto was sure the deed had been done and the Caesar was dead, the door came crashing down and before he even had time to whip his head around to see who had entered, his world went black.

Naruto woke up with a moan. At first he didn't even attempt to sit up because every part of him screamed in agony whenever he so much as twitched. He was disoriented, to put it lightly, and his head was pounding for some unknown reason. He tried to take in his surroundings without actually opening his eyes, because he knew the sun was just too much to handle in his current state. He was lying on his side, curled up on the floor, which was covered in something grainy and rough like dirt or sand, and a musty smell lingered in his nostrils whenever he took in a shallow breath. He knew he was somewhere outside, the sun and dirt only enforced that theory, and he could hear the far-off chatter of the city, busy and lively in the summer sun. There was also shuffling, feet he assumed, somewhere behind him. He decided he would just lie there and try to organize his thoughts before another go at getting up.

The last thing he remembered was… Gods, why is it so hard to think of anything? The lines on his forehead creased in frustration that came from not being able to remember what got him there, wherever "there" was. Then it all came back to him like a ton of bricks, and cerulean blue eyes shot open only to shut tight once again as the sunlight invaded his sensitive vision. He groaned in pain and rolled over to his back, which caused another sound to escape his lips when his body ached and moaned at his every move. He remembered exactly what he'd been doing before he ended up here, curled up in the dirt of some unknown location.

He'd been trying to murder the Caesar of Rome at the time.

The next thought that immediately nagged his brain was in the form of a question, though he had many, but this one seemed to basically cover them all in one way or the other. Why was he still alive? Had they decided that death was too merciful an option for what he'd done? Perhaps they were planning on torturing him numb instead and were simply waiting for him to wake up so he could delve into an even worse nightmare than the one he'd been trying to escape when he did the deed. Yes, that was probably it. But on the other hand, if they were planning on torturing him why would they allow him to be outside? Surely not so he could bask in the sunlight like he was at the very moment, though basking seemed like an inappropriate term to use since it implied that he was enjoying the sunlight's company when in fact it was one of the many sources to his pain.

Thousand of questions buzzed throughout his aching head and not one of them had an answer. So instead of trying to chase down a single train of thought, which was easier said than done in his current state, he simply tried to get his basic bodily functions working again. He started with the eyes, daring to crack them open just barely but unable to get a clear view on anything since the sun was shining brightly down on him. Next came the neck, which he tried to lift up and crane to the left to see if he had just imagined the sound of human activity and was greeted by a pleasant sight. Standing there where two men and a women, discussing what could only be him by the torn expressions on their faces. It was something like disbelief, shock, concern, anger, frustration, and pity all combined into one confusing expression. All he could hope for was that they weren't hostile, because he was in no shape to fight back.

The time had finally come for him to try and sit up, which he did with a great effort, and the noises that slipped through his clenched teeth seemed to have gotten the attention from the three others that seemed so deep in a conversation that not even the sky collapsing could have broken them from their thoughts. The first thing he noticed where a pair of small but firm hands as they helped steady him up to a sitting position by supporting his back. He cracked an eye open to be met with the very concerned and annoyed expression of a girl with pale emerald eyes and strange pink hair. The hair is what really made him do a double take actually, but he'd seen stranger while sailing around the world and quickly moved on.

"What do you think you're doing trying to pull a stunt like that you fool," she chastised in that kind of maternal tone that certain women have. Naruto simply stared blankly at her, unsure of where to start. She shook her head, "Never mind that, you need to rest. It's a wonder the Caesar let you live, though being thrown down here isn't much of an improvement. But I guess if you're good enough there's a chance you'll be able to get out."

This caught Naruto's attention, and he was shaken out of his daze. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

The girl studied him for a while with a stunned look on her face, "You mean you don't know what they sentenced you to?" she asked incredulously.

"No, I was knocked out cold," Naruto replied with a far-off expression, reliving the moment when the guards, or so he assumed, knocked down the door and hit him hard across the head. Well, that explained the throbbing headache he had at the moment.

She pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly. "The Caesar was furious, but thought it'd be better to make your demise as public as possible. I believe his words were 'If he wishes to fight, then let it be for his life. The public always likes a good bloodbath anyhow.' So he decided to throw down here in the pit."

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion, "The pit?"

The girl's eyes widened in disbelief and she had to compose herself again to answer. "You know, the arena. The coliseum where slaves and fighters battle to the death for their life?"

Now it was Naruto's blue eyes to widen, because this was certainly news to him. "So are you telling me he's thrown me down here to fight and die against Gladiators?" Naruto asked in a panicked tone. He'd heard about these kinds of places while stopping at various ports, and the descriptions he got where enough for his stomach flip. The thought that he'll have to take part in those kinds of fights…

He grabbed her shoulder for support as thousand of images flew threw his mind, all bloody and gruesome and in the end, his fate. His breath became shallow and his eyes kept focusing in and out on the pink haired girl that was saying something incoherent with concern. Next thing he knew, he hit the floor once again and lost consciousness again.

Naruto woke up with a start and nearly banged his head against the bunk above him when he shot up, frantically looking from side to side. He was in a small room, dimly lit and fairly worn from what he could see, lying in a small cot that was positioned below another that was held up by the wooden frame. There was someone there, though he couldn't make out whom in the low light. They seemed to be busy at a table on the other side of the room, completely oblivious to him and his loud breathing.

"Excuse me," he managed to croak out of his bone dry throat, startling whoever was in the room with him. Said person whipped around and rushed over to his side, shoving him back down on the bed and going off on an angry tangent about who knows what. From what Naruto could make out, she was a woman with pale blonde hair that hung in two low pigtails, wrapped in a green robe. She was loud and demanding, which frightened Naruto slightly. Being yelled at by a stranger in an unknown room after being told that you were going to be torn apart slowly in the arena seems to have that affect on you.

"Drink," she said in a commanding voice while shoving a cup of warm liquid into his shaky hands. He sipped it tentatively and grimaced at the bitter taste it left on his tongue. The lady scoffed, "You didn't think you'd actually enjoy it did you? Now suck it up, we have very little time to bring you back up to good health and start training for your first match."

Naruto decided it would be easier to make his torture quick and threw the remaining liquid down his throat with a cringe. "Who are you?" he asked once the foul taste ran its course and he could speak again.

"Tsunade, your medical overseer from now on," she stated without looking up from whatever she was working on at the table. "My job right now is to get you ready for your battle, orders are straight from the Caesar," she continued in the same disinterested voice. "I suppose he doesn't want you to just flop over and die in the arena. The audience wants a fight," she mused out loud.

Naruto mulled her words over thoughtfully. Everything was starting to make sense now, as for why he wasn't immediately killed or why he's being nurtured back to help at the very moment. The Caesar wanted him to look good for his slaughter, because he knew that's what it would end up being. NO matter how much time Naruto was given to repair and heal, the Caesar would never put him up to a challenge that he would end up surviving. At best he's make it seem like he had a chance, if only to work the crowd up, but in the end he's never going to let Naruto walk away for what he did. Or tried to do for that matter. "Does this mean that I'm going into training?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Of course you are," she replied with an inpatient tone. She turned and cocked her hip to one side to rest her hand on it, "You really don't have a clue about what's going on do you?"

Naruto huffed and averted his gaze to the table behind her. "You're not the first to think I've been informed," he countered. Her face softened and she took a seat by his bed in a rickety chair, taking his hand in hers and examining it thoughtfully with a nurse's eyes. He continued to stare off into space, effectively avoiding her amber eyes as he did so.

She studied his face, curious to see who the notorious murderer was, and was surprised to see such an innocent boy. Not even a man in her eyes, but rather a reckless and confused boy who's just started to live life's horrors. "Where are you from?" She inquired in a low voice.

"The harem," he replied, "a slave to the Caesar." He wasn't showing any expression in his voice or face and at first his answer left Tsunade confused, but once she processed what he said she chuckled.

"I meant before you were brought here," she explained.

He was silent for a bit and as still as a statue before he spoke, and when he did it was nothing more than a quiet murmur. "The sea."

A smile graced her lips, "You were a sailor?" He nodded in reply. "I had a little brother who- well he loved the ocean, and he would always drag me over to the docks or the beach with him," she said, reliving the cherished memories of her beloved brother as she did so. She shook her head, snapping out of her hazy state to shoot him a warm smile. "At least you're giving us something to work with. You're going to need all the strength you've built up out at sea to survive this one."

Naruto's head snapped to look at her with a puzzled expression, his brows knit tightly together in clear confusion. "What do you mean?"

A single thin eyebrow raised on Tsunade's face in amusement. "You would rather fall to the hands of the Caesar, giving into death willingly?" she proposed doubtfully. Naruto's face lit up when he came to fully realize what she was suggesting and a newfound hope began to build in the pit of his stomach. Or maybe that was just his hunger catching up to him, since he couldn't recall the last meal he had. Either way, he felt something besides pain and desperation, and that was enough to get him kicking once again.

"You couldn't possibly be suggesting?" he started in a steady voice.

"But why not?"

"Although it could quite possibly mean-"

"I'm fully aware of the consequences, but that's implying that anyone's going to find out," she assured in a knowing voice. They held each others gaze, measuring the others worth and determining whether or not this was actually going to be a possibility given the massive handicap that the Caesar would set for the young man. "Now come, you need some food to get you going again. Today is the only day I'm allowing you to rest, tomorrow your training will start," she stated with finality and got back up to walk out for only a brief moment and returning with a tray of food.

The sight, and smell for that matter, of food had Naruto nearly drooling in anticipation. He honestly hadn't realized just how hungry he was until recently, and he highly doubted that the food here would be as good as what they were serving up in the harem's quarters. Not that he cared, because his freedom from that cursed man was more than enough to make up for the slight declination of quality. She set the tray down across his lap, helped him sit up properly and handed him utensils. He didn't even look to see what was being served to him before shoveling the food down his throat, eagerly taking gulp after gulp without a single moment of hesitation.

Tsunade watched him with the same entertained expression on her face as before. He reminded her so much of her brother it almost hurt to see him, and she had immediately felt a certain inclination to help him, more so than any of her other patients, from the moment she set eyes on him. He held the same air of innocence, or perhaps it was ignorance, and wonder that her brother had, like there was always something to keep them curious no matter where they were. He also seemed to have an unmistakable knack for fighting authorities and getting punished for it, or so she had picked up from others. The more she thought about it, the more curious she got as to how he actually managed to get himself banished down here when he had held such a high place in the Caesar's likings, as for as slaves go that is. "What exactly was it you had done to get yourself ostracized from the palace?"

Naruto stopped gorging himself with food to inhale deeply, preparing himself for the tedious task of retelling current events that were more likely than not difficult to explain. "I was brought here only months ago," he began in a tired voice, "and was immediately thrown into the harem quarters. I was," he stopped abruptly, searching for the right word then hesitantly said, _"used_, I suppose you could say, for the Caesar's more lustful purposes." He paused in his retelling, allowing the feelings of being ultimately violated and dirtied start to slowly swell up in him again. He finally looked into her eyes with an anguished expression, "The Caesar, he takes pleasure in breaking the soul and will of people, of forcing them to break at his feet where he can control their every move. His slaves are no different, even the more _privileged _ones," he whispered in a shaky voice. "I refuse to be broken, to have my morals mutilated for a power hungry man that is never sated, even with being the ruler of the most powerful empire in the world."

Tsunade's eyes reflected her sympathy as she soaked up his words, understanding completely what he was saying and feeling nothing but pity for the young man whose soul seemed pure enough to shine. "But what did you actually do to get banished? I doubt he would have gotten rid of one of his precious gems simply because they refused to do his every bidding," she said doubtfully. She'd been here long enough to know how things worked, and this was the first that she'd heard of a slave from the Caesar's personally collection being taken out of the palace. There were always slaves that were being executed for misconduct and the sort, but never sent to the coliseum, making his case even more curious.

Naruto faltered before speaking, and when he eventually did it was in a low voice that was tinged with something like hopelessness. "I… I tried killing him," he answered bluntly.

"What!" Tsunade shrieked in horror, effectively causing Naruto to jump in surprise. It took her a minute to process what he'd said and once she'd finally collected her thoughts again she grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Do you know what you have done to yourself?" she asked rapidly. "The Caesar is going to do everything in his power, which is extensive mind you, to make your death as painful and drawn out as possible, all for the sake of what he considers justice." She stopped upon noticing the frightened look in the boy's eyes, whether from her or the thought of being publicly tortured in the arena she didn't know, but it made her release her grip on him and slump back in her chair, covering her face with thin hands. She peaked through the cracks of her fingers just enough to notice the look of determination that was set on the blonde's and instantly felt ashamed for losing faith in him, if even for just a little while. "I'm sorry," she murmured and straightened back up, taking his empty plates and setting it on the small desk next to her.

Naruto watched her blankly, wondering just what was waiting for him in the arena. The upcoming battle will allow him to measure just how sick the Caesar is, and how much he despises being challenged. Perhaps he will place starving beast in every corner of the ring and let them tear him limb from limb, or instead have him fight against a murderous madman with nothing more than the clothes on his back for protection. Whatever the day holds for him, he has to be ready and unwilling to go down without a fight.

Naruto was shaken awake the next morning by the blonde woman that he had come to know as Tsunade, who waited a full two seconds before she shoved him onto the floor and told him to get ready for his training and threw a fresh cotton robe on his crumpled figure. He got dressed, muttering some rather crude things about the temperamental woman as he did so, and walked out of his temporary housing to be met with the same pink haired girl from the day before, or whenever it was that they had last met. Time seemed to be escaping him for the past few days.

"Good morning," she greeted with a small grin. Judging from her tone, she seemed to be happy for more sadistic reasons than her greeting showed, which resulted with a shiver running up Naruto's spine.

"Also to you," he replied tentatively, unsure whether or not to trust the mysterious girl.

Without a single word uttered, she grabbed his wrist and led him through the dimly lit halls, emerging into the sunlight and across a dusty expanse of ground. They continued through an old gate to stop in what looked to Naruto like a training ground. There were weapons aligning the walls and various equipment scattered on the dirt floor for what he could only presume was part of the training plan, though the abnormality of the weapons made him unsure. There were other men there, talking amongst themselves in casual tones.

"This is where you are going to spend the majority of your time for the next week or so," The girl explained, nudging him farther into the closed-in area. The sun was beaming down on him and he couldn't help but bask in it for a moment, relishing the pleasant warmth it cast over his bare skin. It was the first time in a while that he had been in the sun and fully enjoyed it.

"What are you going to have me do?" he inquired curiously and glanced around him. Upon closer inspection, it actually resembled a coliseum, on a much smaller scale of course. A smirk grew on her face, which in turn made Naruto's face pale slightly, and silently, she picked up a small sword near her. She tested its weight in her hand momentarily and looked into Naruto's cerulean eyes with a dangerous gleam in her own emerald ones. Without warning, she swiftly sliced the sword through the air, aiming for the straight for his neck.

Naruto exclaimed in surprise and just barely leaped out of the way of the gleaming blade, but not enough to keep his robe intact. There was a long slice through his thin robe that ended just at his shoulder, threatening to split the robe in all together. Before he had time to protest, another swing, promising to severely slash his arm, came his way. This time his instincts to survive kicked in and he promptly knocked her hand out of the way and kicked the sword out of her grasp, sending it flying a good meter or two away.

Naruto stumbled and fell backwards, supporting himself with his hands and trying to catch his breath. The girl rubbed her hand and shot him an amused grin. "See, that is what you're going to need in the arena. Now all we have to do is hone it down to perfection."

Naruto gaped at her, panting for air still and unable to move from his seat on the ground. "You could have killed me!" he yelled, his voice cracking as he did so. "I don't even know who you are and you tried to kill me!" he continued.

She picked up the sword behind her and turned back to the man, though he was so young it seemed strange to call him that, who remained unmoving due to shock. She held out her hand and gave him a patient look, "Sakura."

Naruto examined the smooth skin of the hand in front of him and shook his head, wondering what he had gotten himself into and taking her hand. She hoisted him up and lifted the torn fabric of his robe curiously and scoffed, letting it flutter back down against his tanned chest. He sighed and dusted himself off before meeting her wicked gaze once again. "Naruto," he declared in a confident voice.

A smile graced her lips, "Well then _Naruto, _shall we begin?" she said and playfully slapped his arm. He watched as her receding figure disappeared in a small shack on one end of the miniature arena and let out a deep breath to prepare himself for the foreseeable torture that he would have to endure in the form of conditioning. "Well," he muttered below his breath, "at least she'll keep me on my toes." And how right he was.

That night, after an excruciating day of beatings and slashes from the unforgiving blade that belonged to his slightly eccentric teacher, Naruto skulked back into the room he'd stayed in the night before and immediately collapsed face down onto the cot. After being escorted back to the correct room, all the while having his ear talked off by his new "friend," Sakura bid him goodnight jabbed him painfully hard in the side, and skittered off to God knows where. He'd been so exhausted that he hadn't even noticed Tsunade's frightening presence as she busily worked on a patient near the room's entrance. He did, however, note the crude remarks being spewed out of her mouth over inanimate objects not doing what she wanted them to.

After driving her patient out and cleaning up her station, she finally acknowledged Naruto's presence with a flick to the back of his head, earning a halfhearted moan in response. "What are you doing back here, I told Sakura to get you your own bunk," she accused irritably.

Naruto slopped over onto his back, with more effort than usual, and covered his face with hands filled with various cuts and scratches. "She directed me back here, so don't take it out on me," he countered in a tired voice.

There was a long slash down his chest that captured Tsunade's attention, and she moved his arms out of the way to get a better look. With a lengthy sigh, she moved back to her work station and grabbed the basic first aid items that she needed to patch up the beaten man. She walked back and cut his tunic, or what was left of it, and brushed it out of thee way so she could get better access to the damage. "What did that girl do to you? It looks as of a lion had its way with you," Tsunade teased as she gently pressed a wet cloth to the bleeding or scratched skin. The damage wasn't that bad, just some cuts and a handful of bruises, which the medic was thankful for.

"Who is that girl?" Naruto groaned, his arm covering his arms. "I mean, why is she down here with all the fighters? It's honestly no place for a woman," he continued with a mixture of honest concern and resentment. Hearing this made Tsunade chuckle at the irony of it, considering his current state of being.

"Speak for yourself," she said absently as she wrapped a bandage around his arm to cover a rather gruesome cut. "That girl can handle herself better than any of the male fighters in the arena."

Naruto's eyes shot open from under his arm, which he moved out of the way to look at woman with a puzzled expression. "You don't mean to say that she actually fights in the coliseum, do you?" he questioned slowly.

Once Tsunade had finished patching him up, she rubbed a balm over the bruises and small cuts that needed attending to. "Of course she, she's the most popular female fighter to have ever graced the public with her skill," she stopped rubbing the slimy concoction over a massive bruise on his shoulder to raise an eyebrow in his direction. "You have never heard of her before?" she asked in an incredulous tone.

Naruto simply shook his head, responding with, "I usually don't know what goes on in the city. I _am_ away at sea for the majority of my life, of course I can't keep up with the latest news," he stated a-matter-of-factually. "I never knew that women could fight in the coliseum," he said, voicing his thoughts in a low voice.

"They couldn't before, it is a recent change," Tsunade clarified in a dull voice, preoccupied with the current task of covering every and any inch of bruised skin showing. When she finished she gathered all her supplies and transported them back to their rightful places on her makeshift desk. "I was chosen as the medic when the new law had been passed. The old one was… ineffective, to say the least," she said and handed him food and water. "Now eat, tomorrow is going to just as hard, if not harder."

Naruto immediately fell asleep that night, not budging from the position that he took once he decided he couldn't keep his burning eyes open a second longer. Nothing interrupted his dreams, which consisted mainly of the ocean and his old captain and crew, free from the problems of the world, concerned only with the immediate dangers that Mother Nature presented to them. The salty wind whipped back his bleached hair and the harsh sun left a permanent bronze glaze over his smooth skin. He just stood there on the bow of the ship, hands gripping the rough edges to prevent from being tossed back and forth from the rocky waters. There was a feeling that overwhelmed him, something so familiar but forgotten over a long period of time, something that he had taken for granted when he had it. It was the feeling of security, of knowing what the next day would hold and being content with what will happen next, of knowing what you were getting yourself into because you'd been doing it your entire life. This was what he longed for most in the prison that came in the shape of Rome.

He just wanted to be home again, back in the water's cold embrace.

His sunshine was shattered by a certain pink haired woman who seemed more than eager for the start of a new day, while he on the other hand dreaded her company alone, let alone what would happen should she be around. And as he groggily stumbled out of his bed he felt nothing, not the cold stone under his bare feet or the damp air of what he learned to be the barracks for all the fighters, only the numbness that gnawed at his heart. All he felt was the despair of being yanked out of his old life, and the pain of finally saying goodbye to it forever. He knew he was never going back to his life at sea. He knew he was never going back home. But on he pushed, if only for the sake of keeping his promises for life. _Never give up, never give in, and never break a promise. _These words echoed over and over again in his head like a sacred chant.

**Thank you for reading and please review since I'm kind of working out of my comfort zone here. Stick around for more! **

**Also, there really were female gladiators. Just look it up if you don't believe me.  
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